This invention relates to toy car carriers simulating those used for highway transportation of full size passenger cars and other vehicles.
The most pertinent prior art known to applicants is comprised of the following U.S. patents:
Des. 156,244 Josefsberg PA1 Des. 156,245 Josefsberg PA1 Des. 193,150 Alvaney PA1 3,030,22 Van Cleemput PA1 3,594,951 Perhacs, Jr. PA1 3,675,366 Tomiyama PA1 4,192,093 Hamano PA1 4,433,504 Terui PA1 4,505,686 Mariol PA1 4,516,948 Obara
But although these patents show toy car carriers simulating full size car transport vehicles, e.g., Van Cleemput, U.S. Pat. No. 3,039,229, and carrying containers for toy cars, e.g., Terui, U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,504, they do not show a car carrier having handle means movable between inoperative and operative positions and, when in operative position, providing a pair of handles for carrying the car carrier and confining the toy cars therein. When the handle means are in inoperative position, they become unobtrusive side elements merged into the body of the car carrier. Nor do these patents disclose a coupling means which has pivotally operative and locked inoperative positions.
The principal object of the invention will be evident from the foregoing discussion, that is, to provide a new type of toy which simulates a conventional car carrying vehicle provides means for manually carrying the vehicle together with the toy cars contained therein. The coupling means is in pivotal position when the vehicle is in normal use; it is in locked position when the vehicle is manually carried.